The Abduction of the Flame Princess
by Hcobb
Summary: What happens to princesses who wander alone and unprotected in the land of Ooo?
1. Chapter 1

[Adventure Time is the creation of Frederator Studios for Cartoon Network. This work is done without their knowledge or involvement. May I burn in the Fire Kingdom forever for even thinking such a thing. I've removed one word from the title, that never appears in the story. -HJC]

"Finn."

I ignored him and continued to look out over the field, my legs dangling out over the balcony of our shared treehouse.

"Finn, there you are." Jake stretched out his neck from within the treehouse and turned his head to look at me. He can do that. It's part of his powers as a magical dog.

I didn't look at him, but I may have sighed.

"Finn, let's go on an adventure."

Finally I responded, if only to get it over with. "Why, has there been some problem?"

"Naw, it's been quiet. Too quiet. Let's go check on the Ice King. We haven't heard anything from him in almost a year."

"I can't attack him, if he hasn't done anything wrong. It's against my alignment."

"Now look, who said anything about attacking him? Let's go see if he's turned over a new leaf."

"Good for him then."

"If he's behaving himself now then we ought to establish relations. That way we can prevent trouble in the future."

"Why bother?"

"You know how dangerous his powers are. If we prevent fights then we can keep innocents from getting hurt."

"Very well, if we must." I stood up and went into the house.

We packed up some traveling things, including warm furs, and I strapped my sword onto my backpack.

We traveled quickly to the Ice Kingdom. I rode on Jake's back as he stretched out his four legs to stride like a giant. Finally he climbed up the side of Ice Kings mountain and I dismounted to jump through the always open door of his ice cave.

"Finn! Thank the Cosmic Owl, you've come."

I turned towards the Ice King, and my hand went to the hilt of my sword.

"It's my princess. Something terrible has happened to her."

"Your princess?" I didn't like the sound of that. I followed after the Ice King, with Jake right behind me.

"Yes, she used to be so lively, but now she just lies there. I fear something dreadful has happened to her." Ice King pointed towards his bed which had a gray figure lying there.

"Who is it?" I walked up to the bed.

The figure slowly turned her head in my direction and as she spoke I knew who she was, even though her voice was now so faint. "Finn?"

"Flame Princess!" I reached out and grabbed her hand, which felt cool to my touch.

"I don't know what's wrong with her." The Ice King walked up next to me. "She used to have these fire outbursts. I'd treat them with lots of snow and ice until she'd settle down, but now she doesn't even have those anymore."

"You did this to her!" I spun with my sword in hand and ran it through his foul heart.

His eyes blazed for a moment as he raised his hands and then he collapsed, held up only by the sword which pinned him to the wall.

"Finn, I, aigggh!"

"Flame Princess!" I turned back to her. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

"Finn, we can't move her."

"Why, Jake?"

Jake pulled the covers from Flame Princess's body, revealing a large lump on her belly. "It's her time."

"Her time for what?"

Flame Princess screamed ever so softly and I reached out for her hand again. Her grip was so weak. I stayed there by her side as she struggled for several minutes and then she seemed to relax.

I heard a cry and I turned to Jake, who was wrapping a baby in a fur.

"Where did that come from?" I asked.

"It's her baby boy." Jake stretched out his front paws to hold the baby where she could touch it.

"A boy?" FP tried to move her right arm and I helped lift her hand to him.

"I'll call you Ray..." FP collapsed. The final bit of strength left her arm and her head dropped to the side.

"Flame Princess! Nooooo!" I gathered her up in my arms. She felt so light as she lay there limply. She made no noise and didn't even breathe.

"Please no, no, no." I sobbed over her for minutes, until I heard the baby crying.

"We best get Ray here home." Jake held the baby in his paws. "We've got milk and it's warmer there."

"Yes, do that. I'll take the Flame Princess back to her kingdom."

"Finn, are you sure?"

"She deserves to be back with her people." I stood, and yanked my sword from the chest of the Ice King, who collapsed onto the ground. I wiped the blade on his robes to clean it, then strapped it to my backpack again. I turned back to the princess and wrapped her body in the blankets. As I lifted her into my arms I noted how light she was. I thought of how she must have suffered.

Jake lowered us to the foot of the mountain and then we parted company as he rushed back to the treehouse, while I headed the other way, towards the distant volcanoes.

I walked through the sunset and all through the night. By sunrise I was walking up a hill. I couldn't see very far through the smoke and before I knew it I found myself at the edge of a volcano's caldera. I looked down into the lava and then at my bundle.

As good a place as any, I thought. I raised her covered body in my arms. "Good bye Flame Princess." I threw her as hard as I could.

I strained my eyes to see through the smoke and heat and I thought I saw a tiny spark as the bundle landed in the lava. I stood there for a few minutes choking on the ash, when suddenly the volcano erupted. I leapt back and ran downhill, lava chasing after me as stray sparks bounced off my clothes.

I turned back after a few miles and saw that my path into the Fire Kingdom was blocked, so I headed home.

My vision was swimming as I turned the doorknob. And I fell forwards into our front room.

"Finn!" Jake stretched out his front paws to catch me. "You're all burned up. What happened? Did the Fire King send his troops against you?"

"I saw no one." The darkness overcame me.

I awoke to the sound of Jake singing. I looked out from my bed and saw that he was rocking the baby gently in his arms.

"Is Ray okay?" I asked.

"He's fine. Aren't you little buddy?"

The baby gurgled happily.

"Don't worry, Ray." I walked over and looked down at him. "You'll be safe with us. We're all orphans here."

Jake sniffed and seemed worried.

"What is it, Jake? Does he need to be changed?"

"No, it's smoke. Are you sure that nobody followed you from the Fire Kingdom?"

I got dressed as quickly as I could. "You take the baby to safety, while I handle this." I picked up my sword and ran out the door.

There was an immense figure of flames walking towards us through the fields. I ran towards it with my sword at the ready.

"Finn!" It shouted in a loud crackly voice. Then with an obvious effort it shrank down to a human sized pillar of flame. As she spoke again I recognized her voice. "Finn, hand me my baby."

"Flame Princess?" I was so surprised that I dropped my sword.

"Here you go." Jake stretched out his paws with the baby.

"Jake, no!" I reached out my arms, but he lifted the baby forwards above my reach.

"Ow!" Jake yanked his empty paws away.

I looked away and yet I heard neither tiny screams nor the sizzle of burning flesh. I looked towards Flame Princess, who had undone her top and was holding her baby to her breast. He seemed to be feeding. I looked away again and blushed.

Jake looked up from licking his paws. "Flame Princess, will you be returning to the Fire Kingdom now?"

She looked up from her baby. "I cannot. My father could not bear the embarrassment of my shame. He would kill my baby."

"Stay with us."

"What?" Flame Princess turned to me.

"Be part of our family." Somehow I found the strength to look right in the eyes of a princess who was standing in front of me with her top undone. Though I had to admit that she seemed quite a bit fuller in that area than when I had first seen her almost a year before.

"Finn, I." She seemed to be lost in thought as she shifted her baby to her left arm so she redo her top with her right hand.

I shifted my gaze to look at Ray, who seemed to be sleeping happily and now had a faint shimmer of flame above his head.

"Yes, Finn. I accept." FP stepped up to me and put her right hand around my waist. Her touch was warm, but not scalding. She lifted her head to mine and kissed me on the lips. Then moved a little back to look me in the eyes. "You will be my prince."

Two weeks later, after Ray's third fire tantrum, we all stood outside the treehouse, to let the smoke clear.

"I'm sorry to cause you such problems." FP stood with her baby in her arms as Ray looked up fascinated at the smoke.

"Well, that's just the drawback of living in a wooden house." Jake tossed another bucket of water through the window, then walked back to the well.

"Let's move to a castle of stone." I put my arm around her. I felt this need to comfort her. I couldn't stand it when she was unhappy.

In an instant the sky shifted from blue to overcast as a sudden snowstorm hit.

"Aiie!" FP huddled over and Ray began to wail as the cold sliced through them.

"Let's get you inside!" I threw my arms around them and tried to guide them to where I thought the treehouse was. I found the door and nudged them inside. Then as I turned to close the door, I heard a voice I was sure I would never hear again.

"Give me back my princess, and my son." The Ice King's voice had changed. Gone was any hint of human feeling. Now it was dry and cold.

I grabbed a sword, then shut the door behind me as I charged into the storm. "You can't have them!" I sensed the ice bolt over the howling winds of the storm and just barely managed to deflect it away.

"They belong to me, Finn." The robes, beard and crown of the Ice King stepped through the storm, worn by a skeleton. "You have no right to keep them from me. They're mine."

"What's happened to you, Ice King?" Jake lunged forwards. "You've gone all bony."

"What? I feel fine!" The thing that had once been the Ice King fired another ice bolt at Jake, who dodged the attack.

I took advantage of the moment's distraction to lunge forwards, but had to dodge another bolt myself. "He's turned into a lich, Jake."

"It's to be expected when you kill an evil wizard." Jake stretched in a wavy pattern to avoid a volley of ice bolts.

"I'm no lich. If I'm thin it's only because I'm worried about my family. I won't be happy until they're safe in my house again. Urk!" Suddenly the Ice Lich was struck by a fireball. He turned towards the source. "There you are, my princess. See, you're just having another of those fire attacks. Don't worry, I'll cool down your fever."

"You will not touch me again." Flame Princess had put on a fur coat. Apparently she had left Ray back inside the treehouse. She raised both hands and launched another fireball.

"There, there, it'll be all better soon enough." The Ice Lich launched two ice bolts, one to cancel out her fireball and the other one directly at her.

"Flame Princess, no!" I ran forwards, but I was too far away. I couldn't block the ice bolt.

Suddenly Jake stretched in front of her and was frozen in a big block of ice as the bolt struck him.

"One more shot ought to do it." The Ice Lich stepped to the side to get a clean shot at FP.

I shattered his bony neck with my sword and he dissolved into a pile of snow that blew away on the breeze.

I used the hilt of my sword to crack the block of ice off Jake, then asked him, "What happened?"

"As an elemental lich he needs to return to his element to reform." Jake rubbed his limbs. "He'll be back."

"Don't worry, FP. We'll never let him have you."

"Are you alright, Finn?" She ran up to me.

"I'm fine, but what about Ray?"

She rushed back into the house and returned with the baby in her arms.

Just then I heard the sound of wings and turned to the sky. I saw who it was and strapped my sword to my back.

The swan landed. Princess Bubblegum stepped off its back and walked towards us. "It can't be. Flame Princess, you're alive? Everybody's been looking for you all over the place. That baby, is it yours?"

"Yes, your highness. This is my Ray."

PB turned to me and blanched all the way to spearmint. "Finn, what have you done?"

"Do not talk to my prince that way."

"Your ... prince. Oh my." PB turned to FP then stepped back and sat on her swan again.

"What's wrong?" I racked my brains for what I could have done to make PB act this way.

"Finn!" PB stepped up and grabbed my hands. "There is only one way we can prevent war from consuming all of Ooo. I will host your royal wedding at the Candy Kingdom."

"A wedding?" I looked at her befuddled, as she backed away.

"Yes." Flame Princess stepped up and grabbed my right hand with her left hand, as she held Ray in her right arm. "As I said, I accept."

PB turned to FP and asked her, "Your father does not know about any of this?"

"No, the circumstances have been awkward."

"Best that he learn about it from the wedding invitation then. All of you, come to the Candy Kingdom tomorrow. And, Finn?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry that I seem to have waited too long to tell you about certain things. I always thought you were too young. But I think you've made the right choice."

"I know I have." FP leaned over to kiss me.

PB turned and without another word mounted her swan, then urged it into the air.

The Fire King seemed a bit unhappy at the wedding, but everybody else seemed happy enough.

That night FP showed me what sex was. It was wow, algebraic.

-HJC


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning I awoke in the tower room in Bubblegum's castle. I raised myself on my elbow so I could look at the Flame Princess, lying there as naked as I was, on the fireproof bed.

I was feeling a little thirsty so I leaned down towards her chest and drank again of her steamy milk.

She moved her hand down to play with my hair. "Careful, my prince. Save some for Ray."

"Sorry. Did I wake you, Flame Princess?" I moved up to face her.

"In the most pleasant way." She raised her head up to kiss me, then lay down and ran her hands over my chest. "Sholeh."

"What?"

"Flame Princess is a title. Sholeh is my name."

"Should I use that from now on?"

"You have certainly earned the right to that, my prince. At least for informal occasions."

"Sholeh. It's a beautiful name for a beautiful princess."

"Finn... Did I hurt you last night?"

"No."

"Yes, just a little bit every day, and you can build up full flame resistance. It's a good thing I was already lactating."

"What are you lacking? I'll go get it for you."

"Ah, my silly prince. Let me see for myself." She gently rolled me onto my back, then moved down to grasp my rapidly hardening member. "This seems unharmed. Can you share some more of your resistances with me, as I share mine with you?"

"Uh sure, whatever that means."

She smiled again then knelt down and wrapped her lips around my member. This was a different sensation than what we had done the previous night, but also nice. I put my hands on her head then watched as her red hair turned into flames as I felt my release. I watched the flames dance around my fingers. Why didn't they hurt?

She ran her tongue around my softening member, then she swallowed and moved up again to snuggle.

I looked up at Ray's cries. "Looks like he's hungry too."

"Yes, yes. I'd best see to our baby." She rose from the bed, went over to Ray's crib and held him to her chest. His fuzz of hair turned into a low flame as he drank.

"Our?"

"Don't you accept him as yours?" She looked up at me, with hurt in her eyes.

"Yes, we are one family." What had I done to hurt her this time?

"Good." She held Ray close and transformed into a pillar of fire.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning him."

"Yeah, you can't wash up with water."

She returned to her human form, put the sleeping Ray back into his crib. She walked over to the wash basin and touched the tip of one finger to the surface of the water, then withdrew it in a cloud of steam.

"Does it hurt..., Sholeh?"

"Not as much as before, but I wouldn't want to get caught out in the rain."

"Don't worry. I will always protect you, and Ray too."

"And we will have plenty of babies of our own."

"How does that work?"

"Like this." She walked over to the bed and looked down at me. "I see you've already recovered. Ready for some more?"

"Sure, whatever you want."

She straddled me, and grabbed my hardening member. With a few strokes of her hands it was at full hardness again. She lifted up and impaled herself on it. I reached up to touch her breasts, then shifted my grip down to her behind to support her rhythm.

Afterwards she cleaned herself with flames as I bathed. We dressed and she carried Ray, as we walked downstairs.

Peppermint Butler was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Her royal highness is waiting for you in her quarters."

"We thank you." Sholeh bowed to him, and then we went in the direction he indicated.

I saw Princess Bubblegum in her private dinning room, along with somebody I hadn't expected to see.

"Marceline? Why didn't you leave before dawn?"

In contrast to Princess Bubblegum's comfortable robe, Marceline wore only a long t-shirt that reached down to her thighs. "I hadn't noticed the hour. I was busy with interesting things, as were you, Finn. It looks like I'll need to be your guest another night, Bonnibel." The vampire queen grabbed Princess Bubblegum's hand, who blushed.

Sholeh put Ray in the highchair next to the table then turned to the other princess and queen. "I saw, but I think the things we were doing were more interesting. And yes Bonnibel, you were correct that you were within my range when Marceline lit that torch in your room last night."

Princess Bubblegum blushed even more and jerked her hand back from Marceline's. "Finn, you must not tell anyone about this."

"Tell anybody what, P.B.? What's going on?"

"You do not know about these two?" Sholeh turned to me. "I thought that was why you were so broken hearted when you come to the Fire Kingdom. That you had found that Bonnibel loved another?"

"Princess Bubblegum has a boyfriend?"

"Just call me Bonnibel, when we are among friends. You have earned that right, Prince Finn. As you are now royalty. We all have secrets. Hopefully we will remain friends and allies."

"Yes, secrets about Ray here, for example." Marceline patted Ray's head and he cooed at her.

"How long have you known?" Sholeh turned to Marceline, with a hint of fire in her eyes. "Did you know during my captivity?"

"No, just recently. I stay far away from that old freak. I didn't become queen of the vampires just to get caught up in his princess hunts. That's why I stay west of princess sweet-cheeks here."

"And now he's undead." Bonnibel frowned at Marceline, then turned back to me. "We can expect him to be even more vicious now. Finn, was the Ice King stronger as the Ice Lich than before?"

"A bit, I think."

"Ah, I'm being a bad hostess. Please, both of you eat."

"And you too, my dear princess." Marceline pushed Bonnibel's hair aside and stroked her cheek. "You need to keep your color up, when I'm around."

Bonnibel grabbed Marceline's hand with both of hers and closed her eyes.

There was something uncomfortable about watching my two friends act this way, so I turned to our breakfast.

I saw that Sholeh ate dry food as usual, nuts, bread, hard candy and dried meats and fruits, along with a cup of hot vegetable oil. She excused herself when Ray was hungry again.

I turned to follow her, but Bonnibel reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Finn, a moment please?"

"Uh, sure. Say, where's Jake?"

"He and Lady went to keep an eye on the northeast."

"The Ice Kingdom?"

"The Magic Dogs have always been legendary protectors. Jake's father built your treehouse to guard the bridge over the Sweetwater River, but wood isn't such a good house for a fire elemental."

"What have you been whispering to my Finn about?" Sholeh walked back into the room while still nursing Ray.

"I'd like to offer the assistance of the Candy Kingdom to upgrade your residence."

"Yes, only a mighty castle is a suitable abode for the family of my prince."

"Sholeh, how would your father respond if a castle suddenly appeared next to his kingdom overnight, that wasn't the property of a relative of his?"

"Why he would melt it down into slag the very next day of course."

"An all too common option in Ooo. Finn's house is located at a critical spot near the center of the island. Many have discounted the presence of a treehouse inhabited by dogs, at their dear cost. Finn has been even more formidable, but now that he has assumed the title of Prince of the Grasslands, that old dodge is less useful."

Sholeh put Ray back in his chair, then sat in her chair as she refastened her top. "So build a mighty castle. Surely my prince Finn deserves no less."

Marceline turned away from Sholeh and smiled at Bonnibel.

Bonnibel frowned just a tiny bit, then reached out to grab Sholeh's hands. "What if I could give you that castle in a way that did not cause a reaction?"

"That would be even better."

"Let's build it slowly, piece by piece."

"Why?" Sholeh sat back.

Marceline leaned forwards. "It's like my mother once said. If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water then it will just hop out, but if you gently place it in a pot of cold water it will sit there as you raise the heat until it cooks."

"You cook with water?" Sholeh's expression reminded me that the common substance was poison to her. "But yes, we have a similar expression about a certain slow witted beast that would just sit there as steam condensed on it until it's flame was extinguished. If I understand your reasoning, then any kingdom that complained about the construction would be lodging an obviously unreasonable complaint about the latest small part of the construction and would gather no support from the other powers."

"Yes, exactly." Bonnibel nodded.

"So, I will still have my grand castle that reigns over all of Ooo, someday."

"Is waiting too much to ask of your Highness?" Marceline grinned at her.

"A year ago, even a day's delay would have been intolerable. But, after months lying there in agony, with only dreams of my prince to sustain me..." Sholeh leaned down until her face was almost to the table and continued very softly, "And the worst part was that I knew it was all because of my own haughtiness and that I was too damaged to deserve him."

"You are damaged?" I reached for her arm. "Then let us go without delay. I will chop off the head of the Cyclops again and his tears will... Oh yeah, water."

She turned to me, grabbed my hands and stopped me with a look of fierce intensity. "Your embrace sustains me, my prince. It heals my soul."

"Wow, so I do have a power? What do you say, Bonnibel, can I try it on you?"

"No!" Bonnibel raised both of her palms towards me. "This only works for Sholeh. Please Finn, promise that you will not try it with any other."

"Aw, but isn't Ray cute?" Marceline tickled his chin, then turned back to Bonnibel. "Are you sure you don't want to take Finn up on his offer?"

"My creations are my children, as I am my father's daughter. I will complete his alchemy and then, my dear Marceline, I could ask if you would be embraced by Finn."

"No way. I've heard what your potions have done. Life was hard enough for me, the first time around. I'm not going back there.

"My prince."

Something in Sholeh's voice brought my attention back to her.

"If you ever embrace another, then I promise you that your only punishment will be to watch and listen, as she burns."

"I think we've had enough fun at your expense, Sholeh." Marceline stood and yawned. "I'm going back to Bonnibel's bed, to await nightfall. And, Bonnibel. Please keep me waiting tonight, for I so love the hunt."

"Just remember our three night rule, Marceline. If you stay one more night after tonight, then you will be mine to use as I see fit. I will have you drink that potion, I will oil you as you get an even all-over tan, and I will dress you as my princess, with pink ribbons in your hair."

"No, no." Marceline bent down to kiss Bonnibel's cheek. "Eventually it will be you who will accept my hospitality for three nights in a row. I shall suck all the red from your face and hair and you will become my eternal sweet silver princess of the night, forever more."

Bonnibel watched as Marceline floated away, then turned back to us. "Sorry about that, Sholeh. Do you accept that while we are good friends with Finn, we are not your rivals?"

"Perhaps, but why are you showing me all this?"

"Why let down my defenses? Well it is a relief to just be ourselves, every so often. But Finn is my main defense, and for most of the past year he's been mostly useless."

"Why would you say such a thing about my Finn?" Sholeh grabbed my arm.

"It's because he sat around his house sighing all the time, instead of keeping my trade routes open. He was heartbroken because you rejected him."

"Are you... Are you blaming all of this, my abduction and everything, on me?"

"Yes, but that's not the important lesson here."

"What's more important than the way I was treated?"

"It was that you are so very important to Finn that your turning away from him destroyed him. He had just barely met you and suddenly he was nothing without you. I can promise you that there will be hard times ahead, but you must never forget how very important you are, to Finn."

Sholeh turned to me. "Is that true, my love?"

"Yes." I tried to think of the right words to comfort her, but I couldn't think of any. I put my other hand on top of her hand and shifted her grip until I held her hand in both of mine.

"When my father dismissed the tales of a great warrior of the grasslands I was intrigued. When you walked into his court and asked for me I was astonished. Then when I was set free from my prison of glass to be with you and you made that cruel joke... Well, I ran wild. It was my first chance to see the world. When I fought you I found those stories to be very true indeed. Looking back on it I can see that you were protecting me. My feelings were all mixed up and I ran from you, from myself. When the Ice King asked me who I was, I told him. I didn't know. How could I know? Nobody had warned me."

"I will protect you, Sholeh. He will not hurt you or Ray ever again."

"I will send Starchy with you today."

"What?" I kept my right hand holding Sholeh's left, as I turned back to Bonnibel.

"To start the survey work for the construction. Unless you two wish to stay here another night?"

"No, it would be best to start as quickly as possible, now that my Prince has been announced to the kingdoms of Ooo."

-HJC


	3. Chapter 3

"There are two hollows under this site?"

"Yeah," I turned to Starchy, "The gnome cave and Dad's dungeon. If you don't count the basement of the treehouse itself."

"With the river so close, the watertable level is bound to be high." Starchy looked around. "How about this spot? Is there anything under here?"

"Not that I know of."

"Okay, I'll get a shovel and start digging to check."

"Let me help you with that." Sholeh handed Ray to me. "Both of you stand back. No, further." She smiled, transformed into a pillar of flame, and vanished.

"Sholeh!" I ran up to where my wife had stood, but only saw a hole in the ground. I jerked back as I saw a fireball emerging from the depths. The trail of flame moved to my side then reformed back into Sholeh.

"My apologies, my prince." She took our baby back from me. "I keep forgetting that such things are unusual for you."

"I was just worried for you." I put my arm around her waist and she leaned against me.

"Are such things usual for even the Fire Kingdom?" Starchy held a hand to his chest.

"I am the strongest of the fire elementals, and I have been called the strongest elemental in all of Ooo." Sholeh looked down at the child in her arms. "But clearly not the wisest, or the most experienced."

"Also, your ability to shift to a solid form. Never have I heard of such a thing from a fire elemental."

"It's a trick I picked up, to survive my captivity. I admit that it has it's advantages. For example, I can find comfort in Finn's embrace, without harming him."

"Now that I can hold you, I will never let you go." I bent forwards to kiss her on the cheek. Her hair of flame tickled at my cheek, warming it, but not burning.

"Still that was a mighty quick dig." Starchy leaned over to peer into the darkness. "How far down to bedrock?"

"I hit a tunnel and headed back."

"Which way was it running?" Starchy pulled out the map of the treehouse area he had made.

"What little I saw was a straight line twenty degrees west of north to the same east of south."

"How can you tell directions underground?"

"Oh? Sorry, Finn. I forgot again that you do not know the ways of our kind. Earth's magnetic field is very obvious to my plasma form. Though now that I've spent time north of the Fire Kingdom I've been nagged by a disturbance to the far northeast. Whatever it is must be huge and very far away because it varies so little from place to place."

"There is a hole in the Earth."

"What?"

"I saw it on my trips to Mars. It's like a big chunk has been bitten out of the Earth. Like you said, it's northeast of Ooo."

"Are you sure, my prince? I trust you in all things, but still the core of the Earth is molten metal, overlain with lava. Only the outermost crust is solid. Surely any hole you could see from space would just fill in. You can't dig a pit in lava."

"It's true your highness." Starchy looked up from his map. "We've known in the Candy Kingdom of the wound in the Earth for a long time, but we don't know what caused it. Perhaps it was something that happened during the Great Mushroom War. It looks like this tunnel is a continuation of that dungeon you mentioned, Finn."

I looked over towards the rock with the goofy expression on its face, and then back to Starchy. "Yeah, I guess it must be. I didn't look at all of it. I just took the right route to the final chamber. No sense poking around in every stray corridor."

"Is the right answer always so obvious?" Sholeh looked at me with some puzzlement.

"Just dungeons. I've been solving them for years. After a while you get the knack for them."

"Let's try again on the north side of the treehouse." Starchy folded up his map and gathered his tools. "If your highness is up for it?"

"My strength is nowhere near tapped. And it is glorious to finally exercise it, for the first time in over a year. For better purposes this time. Wait." Sholeh looked up. "Finn, hold Ray please." She handed the baby back to me and ran out in the field.

A small flame leapt into her arms. She stopped there for a moment and then walked back to us. "Prince Finn, Mr. Starchy, may I introduce my cousin, Flambo."

"I've met them both before, your highness."

"Oh, that's right. You were with Finn when he came to our court.

"But this one is new."

"Yes, our son. His name is Ray."

"So this will be our future king? Pleased to meet you."

Ray reached out for Flambo and I pushed him forwards so they could touch hands. But then I pulled back when I saw Sholeh's frown.

"What is the matter?"

She shook her head. "No, it's nothing. I had just not considered the secession. My father seemed well at the wedding. Is there some cause for concern, Flambo? Oh, excuse me, perhaps you would prefer to tell me privately. But know this, I hold no secrets from Finn and trust him with my very soul."

"Naw, the old man burns as brightly as I've ever seen him. It's just you know, one day."

"That is a relief to hear, for I do not know how our people would react to having a king who was half human."

"Three quarters human. Unless you know something about Finn, your highness?"

"Finn is fully human!" Sholeh raised Flambo to face her as her hair blazed fiercely. "Of what do you speak?"

"Oh darn it, I promised never to tell nobody."

"We shall speak of this in private now. Finn attend us, and Starchy?"

"Old Starchy's getting hard of hearing in my old age. I didn't nothing that Flambo said. I'll just be heading out to the north side to look around for a bit. Here comes Jake, I'll ask him to help me."

"We thank you for your discretion. Come Finn."

"If it's private, maybe I should let you hear it first, and then you can tell me later, if you like."

"No, my prince. I can not speak for others, but I will hold no secrets from you."

Sholeh led us inside, placed Flambo in the fireplace and motioned for me to take a seat next to her. Then she turned to Flambo. "Well?"

Flambo looked down, then raised his face to match her gaze. "The Fire King is not your real father, your highness."

"I gathered as much from what you said before. Then who is?"

"The adventurer Billy."

"I am the daughter of that villain?"

"He's a hero to the rest of Ooo. He had his reasons for killing your uncle, the Fire Duke. Your mother didn't hold it against him. Billy didn't force her."

"This comforts me little. And my so-called father, the current Fire King?"

"He stepped in after Billy left. Hardly anybody knows. I doubt Billy knows nothing."

"I've met Billy. I can take you to him, Sholeh."

"No, Finn. I will maintain the trust of the Fire King. If it wasn't worth Billy's time to find out if he had fathered a child, then this Billy is not one I have any words for. But at least the question of the secession is settled." She rose and curtsied to the smaller elemental. "Hail Prince Flambo, future king of the Fire Kingdom."

"No way, Sholeh! You ain't dumping this one on me."

"You don't want the crown?"

"What? Why should I sit around the Fire Kingdom hearing the same old jokes year after year, when I can see all of Ooo this way? Besides, I've got a job to do. Any fool can sit on the throne, no offense. Ain't nobody better at me at being a spy."

"But, I already have a kingdom. I am married to the prince of the grasslands."

"Begging your pardon, your highness, but Finn's so-called Kingdom barely extends to this treehouse. And Bubblegum Princess lets herself in here to collect what she calls taxes."

Sholeh turned to me. "My prince, you must not allow that."

"She only takes a little bit. It's not like I've got room to store all the treasure I find."

"It is the principle of the matter. You must be sovereign in your own domain."

"Him, not you, Sholeh."

"What?" She turned back towards the fireplace, where her cousin sat.

"Sorry, but you will never be accepted as the ruler of the grasslands. Not after what you did to the Goblin Village. And the Fire Kingdom will never forget that little stunt you pulled on your way out. Out here you're just another monster that Finn has overcome. For his sake they'll give you a pass. It's Ray who's the big hope for the Fire Kingdom."

"How so?" She raised an eyebrow at this.

"He's the only one who might be acceptable to both the Fire Kingdom and the independent villages of the grasslands. The pirates of the Island of Steam have got us surrounded on three sides, but if the Fire Kingdom includes the grasslands then we'd have the advantage."

At this point Ray woke up and began crying.

I looked down at the baby in my arms. "I think our future king needs to be changed."

"Here." Sholeh took him from me and walked over to the table.

"Sholeh, big talk about the rights of kings from a girl who doesn't have a single servant yet."

"Should I ask my father to assign you to my court? No, you've proved your point, Flambo. You've got your job to do and you've given me a great deal to think about. Finn?"

"Yes, Sholeh?"

"Are you bothered by what you have heard? About Billy being my father?"

"No. I was a big fan of Billy even before I met him. I sorta took him as my role model. I guess this is why you've got a solid form, in addition to your body of flame."

"Still it's strange. If Billy is human then how was he able to operate so freely in the Fire Kingdom?" Sholeh looked up from changing Ray. "Flambo, did Billy use the Flame Shield?"

"Not from what I've heard. He just toughed it out."

"So I may have a few questions to ask my absent father after all. But not today. Here, let's go help Starchy with his survey."

Thanks to Sholeh's power, we completed the survey that afternoon and Starchy returned to the Candy Kingdom to arrange for materials. Flambo said that he had errands to run and with a quick look to the skies, set out on his way.

That night after dinner I made love to Sholeh on the platform of bricks we had laid out on the balcony. When I released inside her she blazed brightly and I wondered from how far off that could be seen. She lay there beside me for a moment then rushed inside at Ray's cry.

I lay there for a few minutes more, and thought I could almost make out the now unlit cave of the Ice King in the far distance. Then I rose and went inside, putting on a night robe to ward off the chill.


End file.
